To me, P. Sheshadri, an eight-time consecutive winner of the National Film Award, is first and foremost a storyteller—much like a novelist—and only subsequently a filmmaker. This impression has solidified over countless interactions I’ve had with him. His approach to engaging with, interpreting, and critiquing a narrative is fundamentally that of a writer. Only when I would prod him with questions like, ‘Alright, Sheshadri, what are the visual elements here?’ would the filmmaker within him emerge, offering a detailed response. The notion that a filmmaker can simultaneously be a literary storyteller is one that many renowned directors have exemplified. Given cinema’s intrinsic connection to literature, this is hardly surprising, with Satyajit Ray being the most prominent example. Furthermore, the creative fundamentals of writing a novel are remarkably similar to those of filmmaking, making it challenging to separate storytelling from filmmaking entirely. Both creative endeavors rest on the three pillars: character, […]